So why does our industry pretend they do?
It’s a myth our entire industry buys into. A myth that business owners believe in so much that it drives their spending decisions. No matter how much evidence they see that says otherwise, they continue to market their businesses as though it were true.
Homeowners don’t plan ahead
The myth is the idea that most homeowners put a lot of preparation and thought into making big-dollar home projects like a new heat pump, a bigger electrical panel, or shiny new sewer line. Oh, the manufacturers and the other self-styled experts will tell you it’s the truth, although we’re sure they know better.
They believe people pay close attention to their brands, perform thoughtful research into their models, and schedule that big project in advance. They assume the people who purchase their products have already scheduled when they’ll replace them. Some even want you to think it’s an impulse purchase.
Simple fact #1
Nobody wakes up and thinks, “This is a good day to replace my water heater.”
Here’s what really happens
Your next caller woke up this morning and was jarred into consciousness by water that felt like it trickled off a glacier. Or maybe they dropped an English muffin into their toaster and pressed the lever, only to plunge the kitchen into darkness. Could be that their realization that something smells unpleasant led them to a big, dark wet spot in the lawn.
Doesn’t matter exactly what it was. Something very bad has happened, and they want it to be fixed right away. That’s why they’re calling.
Here’s what they won’t do
For starters, any serious research. They’re not going to spend a few hours on the web comparing the brand you trust with some lesser competitor. Nor will they go door-to-door to see who their neighbors have called and what they thought of them. Nor will they remember your nice-looking service van (at least not in the heat of the moment).
And what they will do.
The first thing they’re going to do is ask Google, Siri, or whatever app you haven’t heard about for the name of someone nearby who can fix their problem. Or if they’re slightly more sophisticated, they’ll use one of those service aggregators like Angi. Either way, they’ll contact the three companies at the top of the list to see how quickly they can get the job done. If you tell them your guys can get there late tomorrow morning … and the next company says they can be there yet this afternoon, who do you think they’re going to choose?
Who would you choose in their situation?
A need-based business
It doesn’t matter how many years you’ve been in business or what brand you install. Doesn’t matter how many vendors do studies claiming that people do X or Y when looking for someone like you. People like to think they’ll be thoughtful and responsible when something breaks, but they don’t have the time or desire. Nor are they interested in establishing a long-term relationship with your company. They just want you to solve their problem … and do it right now.
Put another way, you’re in a need-based business … and you have zero control over generating that need. You’re unable to manufacture opportunities that don’t exist. You wouldn’t sneak into their homes at night and break things.
It’s this simple
The key to success is understanding you’re in a need-based business and marketing accordingly. You want to ensure you’re one of the names they call (ideally, the first) and you want to be sure your team is doing all the right things to turn that initial call into a home visit and a sale. It truly is that simple.
What about existing customers?
Most home service business owners are proud of their existing customers. Those are the homeowners who have used their services in the past and appear to be happy with the work that was performed. Even if a homeowner hasn’t had a reason to call you in the past decade, you probably still consider them to be a customer.
Unfortunately, they’re rarely as loyal as business owners assume. If you don’t have them on some kind of ongoing maintenance agreement, you can only hope they’ll remember you when that need arises. Whether you get that next call depends largely upon the steps you’ve taken to remind them that they like you.
Stickers aren’t relationships
Stickers on equipment don’t build relationships. That’s why we’ve developed (and constantly refine) a proven process that increases the likelihood customers will call you again when they have a new need for a product or service. It’s a formal process that involves multiple non-pushy contacts over the course of every year, and in addition to increasing the number of repeat sales, it can even shorten the interval between customer calls.